Blog

17 September 2018

3 features you must have in your business messaging tool

In selecting a business messaging tool, there are three critical features that ensure you have the best business messaging solution now – and for the future.

Feature 1. Excellence in the basics

The best business messaging tool gets the basics right and your messages get out quickly, every time.

SMS messaging is the fastest way to get messages to your customers. Text messaging gets the best response rates, uses existing technology and is the preferred method of contact for many customers.

To ensure this success, you need a provider with the SMS gateway infrastructure to guarantee uptime, coupled with network redundancy that can dynamically reroute messages if any given route is compromised.

Security is paramount as you are dealing with your — and potentially your customers’ — data.

Feature 2. Flexibility in platforms

A business messaging tool should allow you to use your preferred platform to send messages.

SMS APIs let you integrate text messaging with your current CRM system. This brings a new level of automation — and cost savings — to everything from appointment scheduling to order tracking. Our APIs allow you to use the languages you prefer to quickly develop robust SMS applications.

Email SMS enables you to quickly send SMS messages from most email clients, including Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes. Email SMS provides a simple solution for sending single (rather than group) messages when you don’t need the value-added features of web SMS or SMS APIs.

You want to be able to choose the system that best suits your needs.

Feature 3. Futureproofing and multiple channels

Finally, you need a business messaging tool that is futureproof, and will take advantage of new technology as it evolves.

SMS has proven to be a long-term survivor in a constantly changing communications world, but even SMS is about to undergo a significant transformation. The changes in SMS have been compared to the seismic shift that was the transition from analogue to digital.

Rich communication services (RCS) is the next big thing in business messaging. RCS can deliver an app-like experience, with all the advantages of SMS.

RCS will enable rich media content such as high resolution images and videos, customisation of messaging, group chat, suggested actions to prompt customers to open maps, or link to a website and quick replies, which give businesses a fast and easy way to contact customers.

Other potential capabilities include chatbots powered by artificial intelligence (AI), so customers can resolve frequently asked questions on their mobiles. This also enables customers to use their platform of choice to communicate, whether that’s SMS, RCS, Facebook or WhatsApp.

MessageMedia is privileged to be one of only two Australian organisations to participate in Google’s Early Access Program, putting us at the forefront when RCS technology is ready for launch.

Make sure your business messaging tool can evolve with future technologies so that you are ready for their arrival and capitalise on their potential.

Conclusion

The best business messaging solution gets the basics right first — it’s fast, reliable, and robust. Secondly, it should offer the flexibility to use your preferred platform. Lastly, the ability to evolve and adapt for future technologies and challenges is vital.